Jazz: Page 99

The title says it all. Page 99 from the paperback edition of my first novel, Jazz.

She looked happy as she danced, twisting and twirling her waist and hips, and bending her legs as if to ride on the sonic waves of the trumpet. It was as if she was controlling the rhythm, as if her movements were the driving force behind that jazz song.

When the tune ended, Amber smiled, a strange, crazy smile, and said, “Will you take me home? Will you stay with me tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”

***

There was an eerie sense of quiet inside her apartment, a strange emptiness. The first thing I did when I walked in was look at my watch. I expected for time to stop, but seconds kept ticking away carelessly inside. I looked around, trying to decipher what had happened. Probably I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a handwritten note on the coffee table – a relic Jacques had left behind. But there was nothing of the sorts.

“I’ll make us some coffee,” Amber said and went into the kitchen.

I took a seat on the couch. It was all so quiet that I could almost hear the water boiling. I closed my eyes. It was so silent, all so silent, just my heart relentlessly pumping blood through my body.

I must have dozed off for a while, because when I regained control over my senses, I could hear Amber crying in the bedroom. I was so dazzled by the strong light that I just sat there for a moment.

When I walked into the bedroom, I saw her standing by the window, staring blindly at the night.”

***

Jazz

A heartbreaking portrayal of ambition, treachery, and deception,Jazz tells the story of Chris Sommers, an aspiring writer from New York, who travels to Paris in the hopes of meeting Amber, a mysterious and beautiful woman he has always been irresistibly drawn to.

Chris is soon thrust into a world where everyone seems to be playing a dangerous and corrupt game. Anything is permissible, and even secrets that have been locked away inside the most hidden drawers of the soul will resurface.

What people are saying:

“It was an oddly realistic ending for two ridiculously realistic characters, portrayed with a writing style of dream-like quality.”

“He’s a very descriptive writer who not only describes the scenery in such a way that envelops the reader, but he also paints a vivid picture of the players.”

“This book had a very Gastby-esque feel to it. So if you like The Great Gastby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, you’ll love this book.”

“[…]Jazz is a remarkable story that will stay with you long after you read it.”

Wooohooo grats on getting it on paper! I hope to be in this same place in a year, and soon, once I get moved to Australia, I will pick up a copy of your book. Thanks for the encouragement, and again, grats on the paper!

Bought this story as soon as I could, and I've enjoyed it ever since: a hundred plus pages of simple goodness. I perhaps enjoyed Amber and David more than anyone else – the former is just too cute and a bit misguised, and the latter's presumptuous yet businesslike persona is actually very likable. Great book.